1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera having an information setting apparatus and, more particularly, to a camera having an information setting apparatus that is suitable for use in setting photographic information of the camera, such as shutter speed, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cameras are well known which have an information setting apparatus including a dial with a built-in substrate patterned with a code that comprises multiple bits. The dial is used to set the information marked with numerical values in each increment, for example, 1/125, 1/250, and 1/500, as a shutter speed, or f2, f2.8, f4, f5.6, as an aperture.
Additionally, a method is known, wherein a liquid crystal display element is used to sequentially change the information related to each increment that has been previously set by changing a counter output by rotation of the dial or by pressing a button for the values that are displayed on the liquid crystal display and stopping the action at the value to be selected.
As for conventional cameras, the direction of rotating the dial to set the information is determined within each camera in relation to the information to be set. In other words, there is no particular rule regarding the direction to rotate the setting dial, and either one of the directions of rotation may be predetermined for each individual camera type.
Ordinary photographers usually use only one camera and they get accustomed to the correlation between the direction of rotating the dial to set the information and the information to be set, rarely resulting in any problems. However, a professional photographer who uses several cameras has operational difficulties in setting the various information for photography. In addition, changing cameras causes all users trouble. This is due to the user's experience with a previous difficult camera having different information setting increments. Therefore, a problem arises when a user sets information in a different camera from the one previously used by the user, resulting in a demand for standardization of the operation of the cameras.
However, standardization of the operation for all types-of camera is practically impossible, and prevents quick operation of information setting for photography. Especially for beginners and inexperienced users, this drawback makes the information setting operation more difficult and the problem of inefficient operation cannot be avoided.
Moreover, it is possible that the standardization of the operation would cause a problem of making some types of cameras overly large.